Betrothed
by tprillahfiction
Summary: Dr. Leonard McCoy is getting married and dealing with the typical pre-wedding jitters. Mild Slash, Chapter 1: rated T, S/Mc


Title: Betrothed

Author: T'Prillah (2009)

Fandom: Star Trek: TOS

Part: 1/2

Pairing: Spock/McCoy

Rating for part 1: T

Warning: Although this part is rated at T (NO explicit sex) it does feature two men in a m/m relationship. In other words this is SLASH. If you are underage or do not like such stories then please give this a miss.

Summary: A wedding ceremony.

Beta: McCoySpockLove. Thanks also to McCoySpockLove for the title.

Author's note: This is a retooled version of my fic: "The Joining" that appeared in Spiced Peaches back in '08.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns 'em. I own nothin'.

* * *

"Oh Lord Jesus Christ Almighty, I can't believe I'm actually doing this." I pace back and forth in my quarters wearing a hole though the deck, a glass of Saurian Brandy in hand. I'm-- yet again-- rubbing my sweaty palm on my leg when suddenly, the doors to my quarters open.

It's Jim. "What's the matter, Bones?" He's dressed resplendently of course in his shiny golden dress uniform. Metals gleaming. He's beaming from ear to ear. The very picture of perfection and confidence.

I, on the other hand, am a complete wreck.

"You're not even dressed yet," he clucks out disapprovingly, furrowing his brow at me still standing here in non-regulation boxer shorts and socks. Not even a T'shirt on.

"I'm getting dressed. I just got out of the shower," I try to explain.

"Uh, huh. Well, hurry up."

"I am hurrying up."

"Not fast enough."

"Whatever, Jim."

"Bones." He studies me. "What's the matter now?"

"Nothin'."

"It's not nothin'."

"It is. Forget it."

"Hurry up and finish getting dressed." He pushes me hard towards my bunk area. I reluctantly, slowly resume my preparations as Jim helps himself to a glass of brandy.

I finally emerge in my satiny blue tunic and unwrinkled sparkly trousers. "Well. I've got this far, at least."

He shakes his head. "You forgot your boots."

"Yes, Captain." I'm on the bunk pulling them on and feel the movement of Jim sitting down next to me.

"Being as you're all gussied up, Bones, you should also wear--" He thrusts at me a small velvet box. "--this."

"What' ya got there, Jim?"

"Well, you know, Something old...something new."

I open it and smile. "A Caduceus? Ah, hell." It's beautiful. Jim takes the gleaming pin out of the box and pins it onto my still unsealed dress uniform.

"It's an antique. Twenty First century platinum. Circa 2019."

"Thanks."

"Anyways," he closes up my uniform for me, "you look like a lamb going off to the slaughterhouse...or at least that's what they used to do to lambs. Why the hell are you so nervous? It's only a wedding for God sakes."

"Only a wedding?!" I sputter back at him. "You've obviously never been married."

"Thank God." I throw him a sharp look. "I'm just kidding, Bones! Look. It's not that bad, people have been doing this for thousands of years. Right?"

"Hmmm."

"Right?"

"Yes. I know, Jim. But, it's not the wedding itself that I'm so worried about. It's what's going to happen... afterwards." I gesture wildly.

"Afterwards?"

"Yeah," I insist. He's finished sealing up my uniform and I take a sip from my brandy glass. "Afterwards. After the ceremony."

"The reception is after the ceremony, Bones."

"Nobody likes a smart ass, Jim. I mean.... _After_... all of that stuff."

"Wedding night sex?" Jim slaps me on the back. I glare at him. "Don't tell me you're a virgin, Bones."

"Pffft. Hardly."

"And…you're been married before."

"Yes, but you see, I've never been married to a _Vulcan_ before."

He looks at me blankly. "Pon farr sex? Ohhh. Yes. I get it. Oooh. I've heard stories."

"From who?"

"Nevermind. It'll be really rough going, but lucky for you it only happens once every seven--"

Goddammit, I love this man, but sometimes this captain of mine could be so--My doors swoosh open without warning yet again to reveal Scotty in red dress uniform and kilt.

"What the bloody hell is takin' so long?" Scotty grumbles. My sort of calm, fragile exterior suddenly disintegrates at that very moment. I dissolve into a fit of hysterical giggles, right along the very un-dignified lines of a ultra- hyper schoolgirl.

"What's gotten into him?" Scotty sits down next to us on my bunk, obviously wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have brought along a butterfly net.

"Typical wedding jitters," Jim explains.

I jump up from my bunk and go pour myself another drink. "How do I look, Scotty?"

Jim ambles over to me and the bastard kisses me on the cheek before I have a chance to pull away from him. "Like a beautiful blushing bride."

"Shut up, Jim." I notice then whistle at the chief engineer's knobby knees. "Nice legs. Got anything on underneath that kilt?"

He pointedly ignores my comment. "Are you ready, Dr. McCoy?"

"Not really," I admit.

"He's ready," Jim insists.

Scotty comes over and thrusts a long white box at me. "What's this?" I demand.

"A gift from your groom." I open it up and there's a collective gasp from the three of us. It's a large, single, purple fragrant orchid. "Would you look at that..." Scotty and Jim murmur their awed reaction as the scent fills up the room. "He, ah, grew it himself in the hydroponics lab."

"I know..." I say. I pick up the card that came with the box and stare at it. And stare some more.

"What is it, Bones?"

"The card..." It's written in Vulcan script. A formal greeting from the groom, addressed to his betrothed. Me. I'm the betrothed. I'm betrothed...to him. To Spock. Except that that form of the Vulcan word for betrothed was for someone about to be bonded. I know why Spock sent over the orchid. The hydroponics lab is where we'd had our first kiss. Oh Jesus-- "Jim. I don't... think I can... go through with this." I head towards the bathroom, to throw up, or drown myself in the shower.

Jim takes hold of my arm and spins me around before I make it very far. "Yes you can. Don't you always say that there's never enough good old fashioned weddings anymore?"

"I never said that. I'm telling you. I can't do this."

"Oh…hey…What ever happened to that tough McCoy hide we always see?"

"It's all bullshit. I'm not really that tough."

"Sure you are."

I eventually nod. "You're right, Jim. I'm being ridiculous."

"I'm glad you recognize that fact. Now, let's go." He grabs my arm even tighter.

"Not yet. Hang on a minute. I'm almost ready."

He still is holding onto me. "You're ready. You're just stalling."

"Jim." I yank it away from his grasp. "Just a Goddamned minute."

"Ah..come on," Scotty suddenly pipes up. "Time's a wastin'. I've gotta be on watch in an hour. Everyone's impatiently waiting for ya." I'm regarding Scotty nervously as Jim shoots him a dirty look.

"I don't think you need any more to drink Leonard, but…how about we have a quick toast." Jim pours Scotty a drink then he and I yet another one. He holds up his glass and clinks it to mine and Scotty's. "To marriage."

"Yeah...marriage to Spo--ck..." As I blurt that out, my voice cracks embarrasingly. Suddenly there's an awkward silence in the air. I lower my head and blush.

I down my glass and slam it onto the desk. "Okay, okay, let's go."

We're strolling out of my quarters and into the corridor when I suddenly freeze. "Wait. I forgot to brush my teeth!"

The chief engineer and our illustrious captain both piss themselves from laughter.

"It's not very goddamn funny, you two." They laugh even harder, turning red with their fucking mirth. "Ah, go fuck yourselves." I lunge back into my quarters.

"Just don't get toothpaste all over your dress uniform, Bones."

Grateful for the moment of privacy, I brush my teeth and give myself a once over in my bathroom mirror. Alright, Spock. The love of my life. I'm ready. Come hell or high water.

I stalk out into the corridor and join the other two idiots in the lift who are still smirking. "God, I hate this fucking thing." I tug on my collar. It always cuts into my windpipe, damn near strangling a man.

"You'll be fine," Jim says.

"Uh huh."

"You're adorable when you're frightened out of your wits, Bones."

"You just keep talkin' Jim."

* * *

"Where is he?" I'm wondering as we reach the chapel doors.

"He's inside, Bones."

I glance at the door. "Why are we at the large chapel?"

"Dr. McCoy." Scotty smiles proudly and pats me on the shoulder. "Everyone who could, turned up to witness this."

My heart starts pounding once again. "How thoughtful of them."

"Bones...Nobody would have missed this for the world. We all love you two."

I smiled at my two very old, very dear friends. "Thanks. Jim. Scotty." Jim, then Scotty hugs me.

I take a deep, shaky breath. "Hey, give me a couple of minutes to collect my thoughts. Okay?"

"You have one minute." Jim attempts his best Balok impression.

"No running away on us," Scotty adds.

I roll my eyes. "Where the hell could I hide, huh?"

"Lots of places." Jim and Scotty grin at each other and swoop through the doors.

I spend my last minute as a single man, breathing heavily with my palms flat on the bulkhead. I'm absolutely willing myself to calm down. Jesus Christ what am I doing? What am I getting myself into? Yes, I'm the one who proposed to him. Yes okay, maybe it was a mistake, something said in the heat of the moment. Maybe, If I just explain very logically to him why we shouldn't do this after all. Maybe--

I pop the button with my fist.

Everyone turns around in their seats to smile at me. I hadn't intended on making an entrance like this. Oh well.

And everyone is here. Uhura, in the front row, smiling. All the rest of my sickbay staff. Christine Chapel, Drs' Sanchez and M'Benga. Lia Burke, my lab staff and orderlies. Most of the bridge crew, Sulu and Chekov and a bunch of others I recognize.

Up at the front, my groom is standing next to the captain, looking approvingly at me. Calm and serene. Of course. How does he do that? I'm suddenly up at the front too, trying very hard to match Spock's calm exterior. God, this pounding heart of mine.

Spock is also of course wearing his dress uniform and I notice the Vulcan IDIC symbol prominently pinned to his chest. Yes. We certainly are a diverse combination, me and Spock.

We face the captain who is by now, toting a very serious expression. Spock is now on my right. Scotty, very kindly standing up for me, is on my left.

Jim clears his throat and speaks loudly enough for all gathered present to hear. "As Captain of the United Starship Enterprise, I consider it a great honor to join together two people of whom I both know and love very deeply as brothers. Leonard Horatio, do you take Spock cha Sarek as your lawful wedded spouse?"

"I do, Sir."

"And you, Spock, cha Sarek. Do you take Leonard Horatio McCoy to be your lawful wedded spouse?"

"I do, Sir."

I can hear Chapel behind me, sniffling. She'd told me she always cries at weddings. I smile at that.

Jim is about to speak when Spock pipes up: "Captain, I have a ring." I glance over in surprise. He holds it up and flashes me one of those 'smiling without actually smiling', smiles, seemingly to produce the ring out of thin air. With his left hand he picks up mine.

"Okay, then," Jim says. "Repeat after me. With this ring..."

"With this ring."

"I thee wed."

Spock stares into my eyes and I hold my breath. "I thee wed," he repeats after Jim. He slides it on. I glance down. It's beautiful. Plain ,platinum, elegant. It's on my ring finger. Not my pinky where I'd once worn my other one.

I hadn't mentioned a thing about a ring to him, I'm absolutely astounded. I'm touched that Spock is willing to do this traditionally, for me.

Jim opens his mouth to say something but I speak up with a smirk. "I have a ring, too." I'd had one all along but had originally planned on presenting it to Spock in private.

"Alright," Jim says. "With this ring."

"With this ring."

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed." I slide it onto Spock's thin finger.

"By the power invested in me, as Ship's Captain, I now pronounce these two gentlemen, lawfully wedded."

I've noticed a full on toothy smile threatening to break forth onto Spock's lips. It might have actually appeared had it not been held back by the strict Vulcan control that he has in public--usually. Eyes alight, he holds up two fingers. I touch my own two fingers to Spock's in a Vulcan embrace. It was the closest we'll ever get to expressing affection… in public. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least one thing is as we'd planned.

Applause breaks out behind us. We turn and face the throng, fingers still touching.

I glance back at the captain and notice that perhaps Jim has something in his eye.

_________________  
STAY TUNED FOR PART 2/2


End file.
